No matter what level of healthcare plan you choose, it is unlikely to always cover absolutely everything you want or need. In many cases we simply accept the burden of a few expenses outside of our plan’s coverage. But some things are too important to leave to chance… And it’s possible that vision care is one of those things.

If you’re young and healthy, without any vision problems, you might feel that routine vision exams fall outside the scope of your healthcare needs. But many things can change over the years, such as…

• The addition of a spouse or children to your family, who need vision care
• Age-related decline in vision (very common after age 40 or so)
• Diseases of the eyes that can strike anyone, regardless of a history of perfect vision
• Other health problems that often display warning signs during a vision exam

Those on a family healthcare plan should carefully consider the cost of uncovered vision care, particularly if the family includes several children. Even parents with perfect vision can pass on a recessive gene to children which creates the possibility of needing vision care. And of course, all of us are at risk of age-related vision problems, even relatively mundane ones such as hyperopia (or far sightedness, the need for reading glasses). 

Regardless of your past perfect bill of eye health, absolutely anyone can develop conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. These conditions are often detected early in their progression during a routine eye exam, when they are treatable, and your eyesight can be saved. But left undiagnosed, the prognosis can be grim if the conditions are allowed to progress. 

And it might surprise you to learn that many health conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, lyme disease and even brain tumors first show subtle warning signs that are detected by an ophthalmologist or optician. Seeking routine vision care can be yet another part of your comprehensive plan to keep you healthy. As we all know, early detection and treatment of any medical condition not only saves you money but can also save your life. 

So, is it time to consider adding a vision plan to your health insurance package? Call us to learn more, and we will share the details so you can decide.